Suhara Villow
The Crimson Flower
OUT-OF-CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: To create a line ship for the Chantemer Defence Forces (CDF) and the Chantemer People's Liberation Army (CPLA)
- Image Source: Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin
- Canon Link: N/A
- Permissions: N/A
- Primary Source: N/A
- Manufacturer: Chantemer Astral Horizons
- Affiliation: Chantemer
- Market Status: Closed-Market
- Model: Azur-Class Heavy Frigate
- Production: Limited
- Material:
- Doonium
- Duralloy
- Durasteel
- Ferroceramic
- Trimantium
- Duraplast
- Starship Components
- Classification:
- Length: 350 meters
- Width: 120 meters
- Height: 130 Meters
- Armament: Very High
- Defenses: Average
- Hangar Space: Very Low: 1
- Hangar Allocations:
- Support Craft: 1 squadron
- Single Craft Hangar: Yes
- Maneuverability Rating: High
- Speed Rating: High
- Hyperdrive: Equipped - Class 2.25
- Crew: 48 officers and 352 enlisted crew (400 total)
- Passengers: 100 surge capacity
- Cargo Space: 10,000 Metric Tons
- Consumables: 1 Standard Galactic Year
- Armaments
- 3x Dual-Barreled Heavy Turbolaser Turret
- 6x Dual-Barreled XX-9 Heavy Turbolaser
- 16x EM-1919 paired repeating laser cannon
- 4x AG-2G quad laser cannon
- 2x 16-Cell Vertical Launcher System
- 2x Q7 tractor beam projectors
- Engines and Reactor
- Shielding and Protective Systems
- Communication and Sensor Suite
- Life Support Systems
- General Systems
STRENGTHS
- Firepower: For a vessel of its size, the Azur-Class possesses strong stand-off capabilities that can deliver devastating damage to even heavily shielded Star Destroyers which is only augmented by its speed and maneuverability that grants it opportune firing angles. Its trio of Dual-Barreled Heavy Turbolaser turrets can quickly fire rapidly accurate salvos at enemy ships from long-range and break off before the enemy can even respond.
Not only can the Azur-Class assault ships many times its size, but it also has a strong anti-starfighter arsenal. The Frigate unleashes an unholy wall of flak from its rapid-fire laser cannons and VLS-launched homing missiles that for starfighters or bombers successfully getting close unscathed would be akin to walking through a rainstorm without getting wet.
- Range: The KR-7770 targeting computer allows for the Azur-Class to coordinate its large arsenal and gives Chantemer already famed Naval Gunners almost supernatural accuracy over vast distances. It also allows the Azur-Class Frigate to engage targets at much further ranges, far outside of the range of enemy guns.
- Agility: The powerful engines of the Azur-Class, based on older but still potent Imperial-I Star Destroyer, allow the Frigate to mostly outclass the majority of other ships in its class. The frigate can accelerate and decelerate rapidly while taking sharp turns only a Corvette could do.
- No starfighters: While the Azur-Class possesses a hangar bay at the rear of the ship, it is purely for landing resupply or personnel shuttles, and cannot reasonably sustain a starfighter compliment. Though stricken and wounded starfighters are known to make emergency landings when their carrier ships are too far away to reach.
- Cooldown: due to the high power draw from the main battery of the Heavy Turbolaser, the Azur-Class Frigate is capable of only firing about a dozen volleys before it must take some time to recharge its batteries. This recharge period can leave it vulnerable to attack from enemy capital ships though its anti-starfighter and point-defences remain fully functional.
The Azur-Class traces its origin back to the Naval Revolution of 801 ABY, where after the bloody reunification of Chantemer from the Rogue Princes brought back some semblance of stability the Chantemer Naval Self-Defense Force (CNSDF) reconsidered its priority. Under the new isolationist policy of Dictator Olan Poutine, the main priority of the CNSDF was to be an internal one focused on the defense of the system from threats external and internal instead of seeking to expand Chantemer's borders. New investment into the military-industrial complex by Poutine's crony corporate allies and cheap unregulated labor allowed the CNSDF to afford this doctrinal shift. The flagship of this revolution would be the new Azur-Class.
The Azur-Class began full production on 832 ABY after a long period of development and large overrun costs. It had been heavily opposed by the more conservative Pre-Fascist Monarchist Sects of the Navy who saw the Azur-Class as an evolutionary dead end that would forever eliminate the ability of Chantemer to project power beyond the system. A compromise was eventually made where a variant named the Azur II would be manufactured with a stronger hyperdrive and longer range. However, following Poutine's later purges of the Monarchists this was never put in production and the design was shelved.
The new Frigate shunned the typical starfighter complement that other Galactic navies typically had on ships of its size and sacrificed its hyperdrive for a weaker Class 1.5. In return, it gained formidable agility and monstrous firepower since more of the Hypermatter annihilation reactor could be dedicated to its guns and engines. In an engagement against Pirate Raiders, a single long-range volley from the Azur-Class Poulet's main Heavy Tubrolaser battery overpowered the shield batteries of a modified Vakbeor-class cargo frigate and effortlessly broke its spine.
In a skirmish with a rival neighboring system that had been raiding Chantemer trade lanes, a trio of Azur-Class Frigates exploited their superior speed to cross the T of the enemy battle line. They concentrated their fire on the leading Venator-Class attack cruiser and after minutes of pounding the outgunned vessel, left it a crippling burning husk at the loss of only a single Azur-Class Frigate.
The Azur-Class performs best when operating as part of a combined arms squadron and with other Azur-Class frigates. Jaune-Class Battlecruisers provide security against enemy counter-attacks and a point to regroup around. A favored tactic is for a squadron of four Azur-Class Frigates to have a pair of frigates dump their main battery at long-range against enemy ships before the other two take their place while the pair recharges under the cover of a battlecruiser, the brutal fusillade maintained through a tag-team. Sarcelle-Class Missilecruisers dart forward under escort from the Azur-Class to dump their payload into the center of the enemy formation all while Quasar Fire-class cruiser-carrier provides starfighter support. It can best be described as a serpent, lunging forward to inject venom into its prey before curling back into the protection of the rest of the body.
The Azur-Class carries a crew numbering 400 with a surge capacity for 100 passengers and cargo space rated for carrying 10,000 tons. The frigate is capable of docking with other ships its size and larger. Consumables are expected to allow an Azur-Class to remain in service without resupply for a galactic standard year.
The Azur-Class is the dagger of the Chantemer Navy, swift and agile yet long enough to stab into the heart of the foe.
